Category Archives: Solopreneurs

Post navigation

Many of my mentoring clients are creative and/or healing professionals who feel spiritually *called* to their work—it feels like their life’s purpose. They are drawn to me because they want to find a way to do their heart work while also making a good living.

Creative and healing professionals often have their craft at the forefront of their business radar—none would have considered opening their doors if they didn’t feel they offered a valuable service. In fact, the number one reason creative and healing professionals do not officially start their businesses is a fear that they are ‘not good enough, yet’.

These professionals spend an enormous amount of time making sure they have something of value to offer, and constantly improving those offerings.

What often takes a back seat to the honing of their craft or skill, though, is the actual Sales and Marketing for their business. It’s true. S&M (Sales and Marketing) are often viewed as torturous. Not only do these skills not come easy to these professionals, there are often a lot of bad-feeling stories and judgment wrapped around the idea of sales and marketing, as well as other essential business success functions like hiring a support team. I’m talking about the kind of bad-feeling stories and judgment that keeps people stuck where they are, never able to move forward.

When Our Stories And Judgments Hold Us In Limbo
Amy (name changed for privacy) feels called to her work as a massage therapist who incorporates sound healing, and often refers to it as her ‘heart work’. Performing her work fulfills her deeply and she cannot see herself NOT doing this work.

However, Amy has been struggling for the last few years to get her business off the ground and actually growing. See if you can tell from Amy’s stories why her business is not growing…

• “I hate having to sell or promote my business.” • “UGH…Marketing feels like busy work—so much to do, for no results.” • “No one can afford my fees—and I cannot afford to drop my fees any farther.” • “It’s pretty much impossible to make a living doing my heart work!” • “I highly doubt people making money doing this work are ethical. I don’t know how they can possibly be making any money!” • “I’m not willing to be a sell-out like others, in order to be successful in my work.”

In addition to focusing on what she hates about her business, Amy has already decided people cannot afford her services, and she negatively judges others who manage to make money in her field.

These stories and judgments are woven into nearly every conversation Amy has, and despite understanding the power of energy, these are also woven into Amy’s own mental self-talk. In fact, her stories are now so embedded into her being (she’s been telling them so long), the minute she sees her business cards or equipment, she physically feels the negative impact in her body.

Professional colleagues who encounter Amy find themselves feeling drained after speaking with her, so they make excuses not to interact. No one is mentioning her business to potential clients.

Family and friends, who say they want to support Amy, instead, find themselves commiserating with just how *difficult* it must be to start and run a successful business. This only reinforces what Amy already believes to be true.

Creative and healing professionals who have both an inner calling to do their life’s work while simultaneously holding bad-feeling stories and judgments that prevent them from growing their business or being financially successful are their own worst enemies.

That disconnect between their calling and their stories/judgments that undermines their calling creates energetic resistance, keeping business growth and success forever at bay in a state of suspension. Never growing. Never thriving. Always pain-filled. Frustrating. Exhausting.

Sound familiar?

It Matters How You Start and Nurture Your Business
When I began working with Amy, I helped her see how she had actually started her business with the doubt, bad-feeling stories and judgments in place. Then, when her business began to reflect those stories and judgments back to her, she labeled what she observed as the ‘reality’ of her failing business.

Once she had observed and labeled the failure, she was never able to imagine something better because ‘reality’ (aka ‘what is’) was always staring her in the face. She literally set the groundwork for her business to fail before she started and then she nurtured the failure, not the success.

Whenever Amy had tried to set her observed ‘reality’ aside for a moment, to imagine something better for her business, she had plenty of people around her happy to remind her of ‘reality’. Her husband and parents, attempting to be helpful, were particularly relentless in suggesting that Amy give up on her dream, and just get a reliable 9-to-5 job. (For the record, not following your heart work is soul-crushing, and a fast-track to depression and loss of self-esteem.)

Abraham-Hicks often talks about the importance of only focusing on ‘what is’ if we ENJOY ‘what is’. Otherwise, they tell us we have to be willing to look beyond it in order to grow:

As others insist that you look at “reality,” they are influencing you to be rooted to this spot like a tree. As long as you are seeing only what-is, you cannot grow beyond it. You must be allowed to see what you want to see if you will ever attract what you want to see. Attention to what-is only creates more of what-is.

(excerpt, The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham, pg 190)

Looking beyond ‘what-is’ is a skill well worth developing as a business owner. Successful business owners know this. Children practice this every day as they play using their imaginations. They suspend their disbelief that their playmate is not really a cowboy and they are not really a pirate. They toss a piece of fabric around their backs and call it a cape, and strike the Super Man pose with true conviction.

In that moment…they ARE what they imagine themselves to be. They FEEL the power of their imaginations, and they revel in the joy of it.

As adults, we can benefit greatly from brushing off our childhood skills of suspending disbelief and imagining something fun in our professional life.

Brain science has already proven that the subconscious mind does not know the difference between our real observations, our memories, or our imagination. The subconscious is moving forward, choosing opportunities and experiences based on how you feel. If you start a business with stories of doubt, fear, and judgment of those who are successful, the feeling is probably not very good—and neither will be the results.

Getting Help To Succeed
Amy hired me when she needed someone dedicated to seeing her succeed, willing to guide her through the maze to turn her business around from the ground up. First, she had to consciously choose to wipe the slate clean on her business, create her business anew from a better-feeling place while releasing her judgments. Then, she had to be willing to actively nurture her own success as one would lovingly tend a garden. As a result, Amy discovered a new-found interest in sales and marketing on her own terms, in a way that was fun and invigorating for her. The result is a thriving business with a lot less frustration, and a MUCH happier business owner!

What are you willing to do to grow your creative or healing business? Share your better-feeling stories in the comments below…

Yesterday, I hosted an LOA Sales call with Good Vibe University’s resident Sales Pro. Many at GVU know Julie as a naturally upbeat and happy person, who has been successful in sales for many years. Privately, I’ve been asking Julie to do a call for GVU since 2010, knowing that many self-employed conscious creators could benefit from her suggestions and insights. You can imagine how delighted I was when we could finally schedule a call and open this conversation!

Being savvy with the principles of Law of Attraction, Julie often produces well above her peers, having learned to follow her own guidance versus traditional sales management techniques. Of course, because she’s such a top producer, management tends to let her do whatever she’s decided is best. After all, it’s working for her as well as for her employer!

In our conversation, Julie quickly pin-pointed some key requirements to tap into for anyone who is ready to build sales. Top on the list was strictly managing our own self-talk. One of Julie’s tips was to bring in a “Thought Bouncer”…to promptly bounce out the thoughts that aren’t serving us. She suggested we imagine our Thought Bouncer standing behind the red velvet rope, unwilling to let an undeserving (and under serving) thought pass through.

Her suggestion evoked the image of a humor-less being, unwilling to let anyone in that “wasn’t on the list”. I have to say, the idea just delights me!

You may recall that Abraham has said that managing our thoughts can be overwhelming and crazy-making, but when we focus on how we feel, then we can more quickly see that thoughts which do not serve us also do not feel good when we think them. That’s how we know the thought is not serving us, because if it doesn’t feel good, the outcome of that thought will also not feel good.

In this way, business owners can begin proactively taking responsibility for their thoughts and self-talk, so they can keep their focus zeroed in on the success and well-being of their business. Doing so inoculates business owners from the negative thought-forms of frustrated peers and the media.

Julie also talked about (and I second) the importance of having a positive tribe to connect with, surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded people. She is (and I am, too) very thankful to find and join Good Vibe University in 2010. As we surround ourselves with positive people who can see and support the many possibilities for success, it is not only more enjoyable, but we’ll experience the benefits of that tribe.

If you are surrounded by people complaining about the economy, how hard it is to market and sell to clients, how impossible it is to make money, not to mention the general state of the world, for the sake of your well-being and your business it’s time for your Thought Bouncer to close down that club and find a new tribe!

What do you think…are you ready to activate your Thought Bouncer? Share your thoughts below…

P.S. For those who are interested in listening to the recording of the LOA Sales call with Julie, it is available for free to Good Vibe University members. If you are not yet a member of this upbeat and positive-focused community, you can enjoy a 21 day trial for just $1. When you join, be sure to say hello!

If you are an artist, then I don’t need to tell you how much that type of creativity requires openness and willingness to let go…of thoughts, preconceptions, and expectations. Successful entrepreneurs and manifestors benefit from letting go, too.

How, you might ask, does one actually do that when you’re stressed?

ZenTangling is a form of doodling that lets you have fun while training yourself to open up your mind and let go. While there are some established ‘patterns’ you can follow, you can also just wing it and see what happens, often with unexpected and stunningly beautiful results!

Back in the late 1970s, before I had ever heard of this term, or the name had been trademarked, I was inspired by an unknown european folk artist who drew in a black and white style reminiscent of the Art Nouveau.

I put that inspiration to good use a snow day (no school), and I had the equipment: 18″ x 24″ bristol board, crow quill pens, watercolor brush, and black india ink! I lost myself for hours in listening to music while making tiny circles, curves, and lines in ink with the crow quill pen.

The drawing above is what I created from letting my mind go. Nothing was pre-planned. I remember how focused I was, and yet how free my mind felt while I was working on this. Even looking at this now reminds me of that relaxed-yet-focused state of being.

When was the last time you allowed yourself to be in that state?

As Einstein said, you cannot solve a problem with the same energy that created the problem. To find the solution, we must first find a way to relax the mind so we can think clearly and see other possibilities. Meditation can be a tremendous help, but for those who struggle to relax into meditation, a little doodling can help!

Searching YouTube, I found this video demonstrating ZenTangling – entitled, No Mistakes —Only Opportunities. I was immediately struck by how true that is of life, creativity, entrepreneurship, and manifesting! As the demonstrator spoke, I wrote down the comments she made that could easily be affirmations for life and manifesting…

• No mistakes…only opportunties

• I let my mind go and don’t worry about the outcome

• If I come up against a brick wall…I ZenTangle®, and my mind opens up to the possibilities

• …let (your) mind roll and do as (it) pleases

• Don’t worry about it…let your mind do what it does

• Relaxing and letting go

• Let your inner artist do whatever it pleases

The next time you have a thorny issue to resolve, take some time to relax your mind, meditate, or doodle. Allow the solution to catch up with you!

Whether you have voiced it or not, I am betting a number of you think talking to your friends is just as good as hiring a coach.

I know you think this way, because I used to think this way…that was, until I hired a coach when I was launching AffirmingSpirit.

It’s NOT the same – at least, not when you hire a good coach!

Over the years, several of my clients have been truly surprised to find coaching much more helpful than just speaking to their friends. There’s some good reasons for this.

A FEW IMPORTANT WAYS THAT COACHES DIFFER FROM FRIENDS
You might be friendly with your coach, but your coach has a much different relationship to you than a friend. A coach is your partner in moving forward and their only agenda is your ultimate success. Coaches know how to advocate for your best interest, even if you haven’t been willing to do that for yourself. The same may not always be true of friends.

Regardless of what they say, friends have a vested interest in you staying exactly the same as you are right now. Don’t be surprised if your friends try to talk you out of taking a risk, or pursuing a dream. If you grow, that might throw off the balance in a friendship, so friends, by their nature, are there to support you *where you are* but their agenda is not always in your best interest.

Friends are more likely to agree with you when you complain. While it might feel good momentarily to have someone agreeing with you, it doesn’t help you grow and it keeps you stuck in victimhood. A good coach will hear where you are coming from but also won’t let you get stuck there. They will show you new perspectives, challenge you to envision something bigger for yourself, and encourage you to use your pain as your fuel in following your dreams!

Coaches will help you go farther than friends alone. You will get open, honest and direct communication from a coach. Your friends might be afraid to tell you what they really think. People who hire coaches are not only more productive, but they also have the encouragement they need along the way. Friends can be encouraging, to a point. After that, you are usually on your own.

Friends get tired of being your sounding board. If your friends are starting to avoid you, or have suddenly become too busy to spend time with you…it might be a hint. Coaches are trained to distance themselves so they can be your best ally. It’s like having your own helicopter guide scoping out the terrain ahead of you en route to your dream and showing you all the best routes.

You might not want to discuss some topics, even with a very close friend. This is especially true if you are starting a business or making a big change in your life. At times like these, the confidential relationship between you and a coach is invaluable! Do you want your friends to know all the issues you struggle with or minute details of the business you are launching? Didn’t think so!

ENJOY FRIENDS, HIRE COACHES
Friends and coaches each have their place, and don’t get me wrong: Friends are great ~ I highly recommend them! I have a whole bunch of them, myself. I just don’t go to them for coaching. That keeps my friendships in a positive place where we can focus on having fun and light encouragement.

Coaching is most often time-limited. When you are done with the coaching process, you may still stay in touch with the coach and might even revisit coaching at a later time, but the coaching relationship ends until you are ready to move forward again. Let’s hope your friendships are not time-limited!

If you think talking to a friend will save you the cost of hiring a coach, consider how you value your friendships. Is it worth losing friends to get some occasional advice that might not serve you in the long run? It’s a much better investment to work with a coach for a set period of time, and leave the coaching out of your friendships.

I’d love to know what you think of this topic. Share your comments below…

“I’ve always been highly sensitive, and as a creative and inventive person, this is usually considered a very good thing.

Except when non-sensitive types always made fun of my sensitivity~cracking jokes at my expense, or finding fault with everything about me, and then accusing me of being “overly sensitive” or “touchy” or “having no sense of humor” when I didn’t laugh. I actually have a very good sense of humor and an ability to laugh at myself, but I am also highly sensitive.”

Some HSPs pick up on other people’s energy and have a hard time shaking it off. Others become easily over-stimulated and find being in the world very overwhelming. A number of HSPs constantly feel like the world is against them and being true to themselves feels like an uphill battle. Still others had the blessing of realizing they are HSPs, and have found ways that help them function better while taking advantage of their amazing sensitivity.

If this rings a bell with you, you might be an HSP. The good news for HSPs is that they are usually very creative and often find it easy to think outside the box. The world needs you!

Elaine N. Aron, PhD. wrote the first real self-help book for HSPs: The Highly Sensitive Person. Her website, hsperson.com, is a treasure trove of information to help HSPs find a better way to experience life while appreciating their gifts. On her site, it says…

Elaine Aron has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and a thriving psychotherapy practice. She is the first therapist to tell HSPs how to identify their trait and make the most of it in everyday situations. Highly Sensitive People have an uncommonly sensitive nervous system – a normal occurrence, according to Aron. “About 15 to 20 percent of the population have this trait. It means you are aware of subtleties in your surroundings, a great advantage in many situations. It also means you are more easily overwhelmed when you have been out in a highly stimulating environment for too long, bombarded by sights and sounds until you are exhausted.” An HSP herself, Aron reassures other Highly Sensitives that they are quite normal. Their trait is not a flaw or a syndrome, nor is it a reason to brag. It is an asset they can learn to use and protect.

There are many great online and offline resources for HSPs. If you haven’t already listened to my October 2009 Co=Creation Cafe Call with Jenna Avery discussing how HSPs can embrace their sensitivity and find their authentic calling, you can listen to it or download it here.

Are you an HSP? Share below in comments what has helped you embrace your sensitivity…

When you think or hear the word “work“, what goes through your mind? Do you automatically think hardship, difficulty, frustration, irritation?

What do you feel in your body? Do you feel angst and tension in your body? Maybe a feeling of dread?

When you think a thought often enough, it becomes a belief. When you hold a belief long enough, it becomes ingrained in the cells and tissues of your body. This is nature coding and preparing your body so you can act quickly in the face of potential danger. Instead of lions and tigers (OH MY!), these days most folks are facing stress and perceived danger from their health, relationships, and yes…their work.

Most of what we believe about work is what we were taught by the adults in our life when we were young. Most of us were taught that no one would pay you to do something fun. We were taught the big money comes from doing the hard, frustrating, dirty, and difficult jobs. Now that you are an adult, you get to ask yourself: Is what I have been taught about work REALLY true? Is there a different way to view work?

If you doubt there is a different way to look at work, remember how you felt about work when you had been out of work for a while.

Is it possible to show up for FUN (instead of work)?

Well, I not only think we can…I *KNOW* we can! But, first, showing up for fun (instead of work) starts with reprogramming our mind and body to view the work we do for a living in a different way. Chances are, you’ve been affirming (every day for many years) a lot of negative ideas about work.

There are lots of people every day who make good money doing work they enjoy and having fun along the way. In fact, the people who make really big money are often the ones having the most fun and saying things like, “I’d still do this work even if they didn’t pay me!” Who says you have to suffer and dislike your work experience? (Where you got the message that work had to be so unpleasant is much less important than making the decision NOW to experience more FUN, instead of work!)

To experience something different, it’s time to start affirming something different…something aligned with all the fun you ALREADY experience in your work! Put the spotlight on the fun you experience at work, for a change. Keep affirming the fun, and the universe will pick up on your new signal and begin mirroring it back to you!

Try this exercise:

• Write down all the ways in which you have fun in your current work

• Remember to include the social relationships and connections you have because you work

• Include the things about work you often laugh and joke about

• Post the list somewhere you can see it every day when getting ready for ‘work’ fun

• The next time the subject of work comes up in your mind or conversations, recall the list you’ve compiled

When you begin focusing on the FUN you have at work, you’ll start remembering it more, and attracting more FUN into your job every day. The more fun you attract and acknowledge, the more you’ll prepave FUN into your day! Give it a try.

NLP Practitioners tell us it takes at least 21 days of regularly repeating a new habit to create a new neural pathway in our brain. So, once you have your list, keep it handy and give it some attention every day for a good 30 days or more.

I’d love to read your stories about showing up for FUN instead of work? Share them below in the comments…

Twenty days into March and this is my first blog post. It’s OK, though, because I’ve been actively practicing fully trusting into not knowing.

I fully trusted that when it was time to write a new blog post, I would know.

I fully trusted that life and business would deliver me subjects to write about as long as I stayed relaxed in not knowing.

I let go of demanding that I write a blog post just for the sake of writing a blog post.

There are probably Marketing Coaches writhing with frustration reading this post right now because they believe that every business owner needs to write a new blog post every 2 or 3 days. That may be a nice rule of thumb, but if you’ve read my blog for any period of time you know I don’t write fluffy posts about nothing just so I can meet a blog writing quota. I won’t do anything for my business that doesn’t feel aligned just to meet a quota because I understand the power of vibration in creating! If we aren’t positively aligned when we take action, then the results also won’t be positively aligned with what we desire.

Many successful entrepreneurs have a keen sense of intuition and an ability to quickly follow inspired action. We all know what it feels like to just *know* inside of yourself exactly what steps to take next and what is the right choice for you. You may even have read my blog post about this important business resource.

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you know very well that there are also times when you just don’t know. It can be frustrating and unnerving. Especially if you are used to *always knowing* exactly what you want to do next.

The vibration of frustration, though, is not conducive to receiving quality inspiration. Fighting anything, including the not knowing, actually puts us in a place of resistance rather than a place of receiving what you desire. Being in resistance manifests more experiences to feel resistance. So, how does one trust into not knowing?

It starts with letting it be OK to not know. For some, that means extra self-love. For others, it means addressing their impatience. Still others might really need to learn how to relax. Only you really know what emotions not knowing brings up for you. Learning to trust yourself, trust your guidance AND trust your not knowing are essential to being an effective solopreneur or business owner. For that matter, it’s essential for living a peace-filled joyful life.

When you allow yourself to be OK with not-knowing, even in a place of inner peace, some magical alchemy begins to happen: The fully allowed not knowing transmutes itself into a gentle understanding, and then into fully knowing. Gradually, your trusting energy is rewarded. You find it easy to allow what’s most important to bubble up to the surface, and soon the not-knowing shifts to knowing.

This morning, after spending nearly twenty days in not-knowing, I woke up knowing exactly what was most important to share at this time. Once again, I was reminded how relaxing into wherever you are can be one of the most helpful tools a solo business owner can possess!

What are your experiences in trusting into not-knowing? Share them below in the comments so we may all learn from each other.

Yesterday, I was checking out the database for this blog, and single-handedly brought this site down just minutes before leading a Quantum MasterMind call. A glaring ERROR MESSAGE greeted visitors. Knowing that I didn’t have time to fix the blog prior to the call, especially since I did not know exactly what I did to bring down the blog, I made a decision. I took a deep breath and said, “OK, I’ll fix this after the call.”

Most people I know would have been freaking out and upset. I was relaxed, calm, and focusing my energy on my upcoming group call. As I was walking to get some water prior to the call, I realized I had just created space for the possibility of an easy solution to a yet undefined problem.

Coaches and Mentors across the globe do this for their clients every day. When clients work with a coach, they’ve automatically got an ally who not only has their back, but one who also willingly believes in their possibilities are on their way to being a reality.

Holding the space open for possibilities is actually one of the reasons clients are much more likely to achieve greater success while working with a coach.

My question to you: How often do you hold the space for unseen solutions to appear in your business?

I am a business mentor, but this question was an epiphany for me, too!

I realized that I rarely do this for other parts of my business, but I was easily able to do it for the technical aspects. Having lived and worked in Silicon Valley for more than 25 years might have something to do with my technical confidence. Still, I know lots of people (especially women) in this area who don’t feel the same trust that they can solve their technical problems.

But whether I have technical knowledge or not really makes no difference.

Everyday, people across the globe find previously unknown solutions just by being open to that possibility. History is filled with names of amateurs who solved problems the experts believed was impossible to solve. When you decide something is too difficult…or can’t be done…or is impossible…you are shutting the door on that possibility AND you are often shutting the door on related future possibilities.

The bottom line is this: If we don’t hold the space for possible solutions to appear, then in most cases we won’t even try.

I held the space for a solution to appear, and it did. Obviously, you can see my blog is up and working. If you are familiar with the Law of Attraction, you can see that I held the space and kept the door open for the possibility of a solution. I believed a solution was right around the corner…and, therefore, it was!

How often do you hold the door open for unseen solutions before they arise? Share your thoughts below…

Almost 20 year ago when I was going through a particularly frustrating period of my life someone gave me the Why Worry? graphic [see right].

At the time, I was going through a difficult divorce while raising a not-yet-diagnosed toddler with Asperger’s Syndrome, working full-time at a Silicon Valley company and spending a great deal of my time worrying about WHAT IFs. No doubt, all that worrying was a colossal waste of what little energy I had available.

My analytical left-brain appreciated the statistics about the pointlessness of worry. I’d read it to remind myself, but before long, I’d find myself worrying…again. Why was that happening?!? More importantly, what could I do about it?

Even though I could logically see that worry was a waste of time and energy, my creative right-brain had become quite dependent upon worrying. You see, I had trained myself (over many years) to worry… about everything. I was really good at it, too! That’s why my creative thoughts immediately went *there* time and time again.

My brain defaulted to worrying, and I was so stuck in that rut I didn’t know how to train myself to use my energy more productively. The sad truth is, most people who are addicted to worry do NOT know how to use their mind to focus consistently in more positive ways. Worrying requires incredible creative skills and use our imagination to think of the WORST possible scenarios so our mind can spin on them.

Since the Law of Attraction ensures that we attract into our experiences whatever we give our attention, you can see that worrying attracts more things to fret and worry about.

Imagine being able to retrain yourself to harness your creative energy, and use it in an empowering way!

> What would you be creating more of, as a result?

> What would you be creating a lot less of?

> How would your life and business benefit?

Is WORRY your default energy or attitude? Share below what you have done to manage your energy better…

PS: If the graphic helps you, too, just right click the image at right to download and print the PDF reminder for yourself.

Two weeks ago, I thought momentarily about decorating my house for the holidays, but I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t *feeling it*. No energy. No desire. No inspiration. I don’t know why, but I felt this way last year, too.

Every time I thought about it, I just felt, “Nah…”

Both this year and last, I just made a decision to be OK with not decorating and feeling totally uninspired about the holidays. I let go of expectations and demands that no longer fit.

Of course, last year, after making peace I found myself spontaneously inspired to decorate anyway a few weeks before Christmas.

Making peace can have that affect. It’s OK if you don’t, and it’s OK if you do…so either way, whatever actions you take are more likely to be from a place of inspiration rather than *shoulds*.

And the same thing happened this year. Today, in fact! Readers of this blog know I’ve written a lot about inspired action. What happened today was clearly inspired action! When I get down to it, though, it actually started earlier in the week with my Crockpot.

On Tuesday, I started reminiscing about years past when I’ve baked liqueur cakes (Grand Marnier, Rum, Amaretto, Kahlua, etc.) for the holidays. The more I thought about them, more I kept thinking about them. Law of attraction just kept bringing me more of the same thoughts…while making me hungry for a liqueur cake…the kind soaked in a butter rum sauce or amaretto syrup. Being that I don’t drink alcohol (doesn’t taste good to me and I don’t like hangovers), my alcohol stays securely in the cupboard unless there is a cake to be baked.

By Thursday, I was on an obsessive roll with the liqueur cake idea at the same time that I wasn’t feeling the love for the work involved. I just wasn’t getting a “Hell, YES!”…that was, until, I remembered my Crockpot! I have a special insert pan that lets me bake bread and cakes inside my crockpot. Immediately, I grabbed my cookbook and located a suitable pound cake recipe that I could poke holes into so it could soak up the buttered rum. Mmmmmmm….

I looked at my watch. I had about 30 minutes before my next Quantum MasterMind call, and I suddenly felt *sparked*: That burst of energy that coincides with an inspired idea! I was primed for inspired action. In less than 3 minutes, I had the crockpot, all the ingredients, and the cookbook on my counter. Twenty minutes later, I had the cake batter in the crockpot, set the temperature to high, and began cleaning up the kitchen.

By the time that Quantum Mastermind call was done, so was my cake! I poked holes all over the cake, and while it was still piping hot, I quickly melted the butter and sugar together, then stirred in the rum and nutmeg. The sweet warm liquid was poured over the hot cake so it could soak it all up. Within two hours of my call finishing, I was sitting down enjoying a piece of delicious, warm Butter Rum cake with a bit of whipped cream…

And by end of day on Saturday, two days later, my Christmas tree was up, and my whole house was fully decorated for the holidays! And believe me, no one is more surprised about this chain of events than me! Seriously. Two weeks ago, and even two days ago, I would never have predicted that my Crockpot would lead me gently toward inspired action on getting into the holiday spirit.

Sometimes inspired action happens in a moment, and sometimes it creeps up on you like that! It starts out on Tuesday with a random thought that snowballs, and by Saturday, you don’t know what came over you. When you’re in the Vortex taking action, you’ll not only accomplish everything much faster, but the results will be far better.

Is there something that you feel you should do for your business, but you haven’t been *feeling it*? At some point, every business owner experiences this. From my experience, the best ting you can do is make peace with not feeling it, let go of expectations, and take no action except from the place of, “OH, YES!”. Know that when, or IF, you do finally feel inspired to take action, the results will always turn out so much better than if you had forced yourself when you weren’t feeling any inspiration.

Now it’s your turn: Do you have a surprising story of inspired action? Share with us below…